View source for FAQ

'''Frequently Asked Questions'''&mdash;Zero-K

==I'm new to Zero-K. Where should I start?==
First, you should read the [[Newbie Guide]] and try some practice games against the <abbr title="artificial intelligence">AI</abbr>. You should definitely try the tutorial, play some or all of the campaign, and/or the more detailed tutorial set available in the ''Help'' menu in the game's lobby.

You can also spectate some online games to see which things are significant.

==How can I unlock Commander modules?==
Visit the [//www.zero-k.info Zero-K Homepage] and log in with your account. You can easily reach this page from the lobby through the "Welcome" tab. From here, you scroll down until you see "You can unlock technology" and click on this link. The link may not be there for you. That's because you do not have to unlock anything from this page; all modules are currently unlocked for all players.

You can see [//zero-k.info/My/UnlockList the list of unlocked technologies] if you're logged in. Unlocking technology during single-player campaign does not affect anything on this page.

==How do I gain rating? ==
You can gain rating if you're winning multiplayer games. You will gain or lose more or less rating based on the skill of your opponent(s).

{{:Rating and Rank}}

==How much XP do I need to reach the next level?== 
Mouse over the ''<abbr title="experience points">XP</abbr>'' bar on the home page; the XP needed is displayed in the tooltip.

==How do I un-clump my units to make a decent firing line?==
Read up on [[Unit Management#Micromanagement|micromanaging units]] with ''[[Help for other RTS players#Units and UI|line move]],'' an easy way to make your units form a line whenever you need them to.

==How do I remove a structure that I built?==
Among the best options are:
#[[Reclaim]] it. You get back some resources at the expense of time.
#[[Self Destruct Command|Destroy]] it. Quick, but the explosion may damage nearby units and buildings.
This works with mobile units, too.

==My FPS is low after some time have passed in game. What can I do?==
{{See|Performance Optimizations}}
Try to reduce your graphics settings. To do so, go to the ''Settings'' tab in Zero-K lobby and click ''Graphics Settings''. Some work-intensive elements that you could tone down or disable are shadows, anti-aliasing, and water type. There is also the ''Lowest'' preset you can try for maximum performance. Trying higher presets can help you find the performance and graphic level that works best on your system.

If you're playing on Steam, disable the Steam Overlay, as it negatively affects performance:
* Right-click on Zero-K in your Steam library.
* Select ''Properties'' from the drop-down menu.
* Untick "Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game" in ''General''.

==I'm on Linux and my game hangs/crashes the second time I launch it==
This may be an issue with certain versions of Mono. You might be able to work around it by deleting one or both files in <code>Zero-K/games</code> directory and letting the game rebuild them.

If the game is launched through Steam, you can also try setting the ''Steam Linux Runtime'' as compatibility tool for Zero-K.

==I get ugly bubbles in the minimap/the whole screen flashbangs.==
Do you get bubbles like this?

[[File:FAQ_bg.jpg]]

This is a bug somewhere in Lua drawing with ATI/AMD and OpenGL.

Disable widgets that draw via {{key press|F11}} menu to find the problematic widget.

This should largely be fixed. If it still happens, [[Reporting Bugs|send a bug report]], please.

==I have some game ideas. Where can I post them?==
Visit the [//zero-k.info/Forum Zero-K forum] and pose your ideas in the appropriate section. You can also create a new issue on [//github.com/ZeroK-RTS/Zero-K/issues our development site].

==What do all the in-game abbreviations mean?==
You can look up some abbreviations and acronyms used in the game in [[Abbreviations|our list of abbreviations]]. Some abbreviations unrelated to the game can be looked up on [//en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:Internet_slang wiktionary]. Another way is to ask other players.

==How can I support the game? Donations?==
On the one hand, you can [//zero-k.info/Contributions donate some coins] so we can pay the server costs. You can also support Zero-K through one of the [//store.steampowered.com/dlc/334920/ donation packs] available on Steam. On the other hand, you can support us by simply playing the game and spreading the word. Feel free to use our [//presskit.zero-k.info/ advertisement material] on your site. Thanks a lot! :-)

==How can I change my Username?==
Follow the guide on [[Name Change|name change]].

==How do I change my password? ==
On your [[User Page|home/account page]], click ''Account maintenance'' and enter your new password.

==I forgot my password/username. Help me pls!==
If you forgot your password or username, please contact the server administrators. They will reset it to something and communicate it to you.

==Steam won't log me in anymore!==

The Steam service and its login servers experience occasional maintenance downtime (usually on Tuesday) that can cause your Zero-K account to fail to connect. First you should [https://steamstat.us check if steam is down in your region]. If Steam services in your region are showing as OK, try the next step.

In the lobby client, go to "Settings > Lobby > Login with Steam" and make sure this and "Login automatically" are checked on. If you want to set a password and unlink your account from steam, see [[Account Management]].

==My mouse cursor in game has disappeared==
This can be caused by driver updates. If it happens, this can be fixed by adding a line to a file in your Zero-K folder that will tell the game to draw the mouse cursor with an alternate method. Under the ''LuaMenu/Config folder'', look for the ''IGL_data.lua'' file and open in a text editor. Look for the section called ''game_settings''. 

Adding the line <syntaxhighlight inline>HardwareCursor = 1,</syntaxhighlight> (including the comma) in the middle of this section and saving the file should have your cursor appear the next time you load Zero-K.

Hardware cursor can also be toggled in the [[Ingame Menu#Mouse Cursor|settings menu]] during a game.

==My game crashes/has graphical glitches. How do I fix it?==
First, check the [//springrts.com/wiki/FAQ:trouble troubleshooting FAQ] on the Spring engine wiki and see if your issue is covered there. If you can't find a solution to the problem, you can file a bug report on our forum or [//github.com/ZeroK-RTS Github development site].

==I have a bug report!==
You can post in the [//zero-k.info/Forum?categoryID=3 ''Help and Bugs'' sub-forum] or make an issue report on [//github.com/ZeroK-RTS ZeroK-RTS Github] (more technical). There is also a #support channel on [https://discord.gg/aab63Vt Discord] you can post to.

Please include diagnostic logs as appropriate. You can automatically upload the log from the game's lobby by pressing the <samp>Help</samp> button, then <samp>Report A Bug</samp>. During this step, a webpage should open with your diagnostic log. Be sure to make note of the address before closing it.

Otherwise, look for ''infolog.txt'' and ''infolog_full.txt'' in your installation folder. Use [//www.pastebin.com pastebin] to show the contents of your ''infolog'' files and give the resulting link instead of posting the whole thing on the forum or github.

==My question isn't answered here. Where can I ask my question?==
As above, you can visit the [//zero-k.info/Forum forum] and ask your question in one of the listed sections.

You can also ask other players to get help.



{{Navbox manual}}